


Possibly a Date

by charsd773



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: First Dates, First Kiss, M/M, Marauders Era (Harry Potter), Miscommunication, Oblivious Remus Lupin, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-24
Updated: 2019-04-24
Packaged: 2020-01-25 17:41:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,394
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18579394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/charsd773/pseuds/charsd773
Summary: Basically Sirius asks Remus to dinner, but Remus doesn't realize it's a date.





	Possibly a Date

“Hey, Moons?”

It’s more the tone of the question that gets Remus to look up from the book he’s reading by the window, rather than the words themselves. He knows Sirius very well after sharing a dorm for about seven years; they are best friends after all. He’s heard the posh accent ooze with confidence, arrogance, humor, kindness, and on fewer occasions, sympathy.

However, this is new, from the way the boy standing in front of him is both wringing his hands and clasping them behind his back in jittery intervals, and shifting his weight from one foot to the other. This almost resembles...uncertainty?

His hair is a bit messier than usual too, Remus can’t help but point out to himself, like Sirius had been running his hands through it. Anybody else might not even notice that, but Remus _always_ notices. As if he could ever stop staring at that hair. _Focus, Lupin_.

Remus’ brow slightly furrows, “What’s up, Padfoot?”

“I’ve just been thinking,” Sirius rushes the words out, then clears his throat to start over. “I’ve realized that James is going off with Lily to Hogsmeade tonight, and Pete still has that last detention for the exploding cauldron thing last week.”

Remus can’t help but smirk at the memory, picturing Peter coming back up to the dorm, red in the face, _‘I dunno why I didn’t just transform. When did Filch get so bloody fast?’_ Remus then realizes that Sirius has left his statement open ended.

“Sharp as a tack you are, with those observation skills,” Remus prompts with a small smile. Banter is good. Just some friendly banter. _Godric his eyes are like silver in this light_.

Sirius exhales a laugh and looks to his feet for a moment. Remus thinks to himself that he really needs to stop daydreaming because he could’ve sworn that Sirius’ cheeks are tinted pink.

“I was trying to say that we should- I’d like it if we could go to the Three Broomsticks. Tonight.” He raises his chin to look Remus in the eyes once more. “Or somewhere else, if you’d prefer, but- dinner?”

“Sounds fun to me.” Of course Sirius is acting strange- ever since Lily had shocked the world and asked _James_ out right in the middle of the common room, something about Sirius had been off. Probably just seeing his best friend- his brother- in a relationship. It’s likely he was trying to get a glimpse of the new couple to spy on them. Who better than Remus to make sure he doesn’t interrupt their night?

Sirius lights up, similar to the way he looks when a prank is perfectly executed, but a bit softer, like he’s trying to contain it.

“Brilliant! I was thinking we could meet there at seven?”

_Meet there? We live together and we’ll be heading to the same place anyways._ “Yeah, of course!” _Very smooth._

Sirius beams at him, and Remus tries (and fails) not to watch as he retreats up the stairs to the dorm.

*****************************

“Rosmerta’s definitely come up with a new recipe for her chocolate cake. Did you like it?”

Remus blinks a few times and, far from the first time tonight, has to think a bit before responding. Not that he wasn’t thrilled to be spending time with Sirius, but he can’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. And he couldn’t for the life of him figure out what it was.

First, he had made to look for a table once he arrived, but quickly found that Sirius had already picked them one away from the main floor of the restaurant. Sirius had been lighting a candle in the middle with a snap of his fingers, then blowing it out only to light it again with another snap; the same trick he frequently uses to lit cigarettes. Remus loved when he did that.

Then, Sirius stood up to greet him as he walked over, and Remus noticed that he had changed clothes from what he had been wearing only two hours previously. Remus had simply opted to throw on a heavier jumper to fight off the late autumn chill, but of course Sirius looked amazing in his black v-neck that showed off a distracting amount of collarbone, with his favorite leather jacket draped over the back of his chair. It was maybe three minutes later when he realized that Sirius was wearing eyeliner. Not a lot, but it made Remus shift in his chair enough that Sirius took notice. _‘Is this table okay? It’s not too drafty is it? I just thought it’d be better to be away from the bigger crowds.’_

It wasn’t an awkward night exactly, they had laughed and talked and had a great time just like they always did, but by the time they had finished dessert (Sirius was adamant about paying for the lot) and were leaving, Remus is sure that something was wrong. Sirius once again became shifty, jittery, _unsure_ about….something.

They walk a block or so back towards the castle in silence when Sirius grabs his hand, pulling him into the narrow alley behind Zonko’s.

“Oi! Pads? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong, I just… didn’t want an audience for this part.” His hand is still holding Remus’. Remus is not inclined to move it before Sirius did.

Unsure of how to respond, and very aware of their close proximity, Remus attempts a joke to pull a familiar expression out of Sirius currently unreadable face. “Sirius Black doesn’t want an audience? Better inform the _Prophet_ , that’s front page stuff.”

Sirius grins and shakes his head, stepping closer so that their chests are nearly touching. “Maybe, but making it into the paper may not be _your_ ideal way to end a first date.” He leans up slowly, and Remus can feel his breath on his face. Before he can even process what’s happening, before he can stop himself, Remus freezes and takes a step back.

_“Date?”_ It comes out like a choke, like the sound didn’t even come from his vocal cords.

Sirius drops his hand, his lips slightly parted. “Yeah, I mean, I thought you realized-”

“I didn’t know it was a _date!_ ” How had he not _realized?_

“Right.” Sirius takes as big a step back as he could manage in the small space, shoulders hunched together and face burning. He was looking anywhere but into Remus’ still shocked expression. “Sorry about this then, I’ll just- I’m gonna- I’ll see you later, yeah? And maybe, you know, we can just forget this happened if that’s fine with you?”

“No- Padfoot, wait!” Remus manages to grab the back of his jacket as Sirius tries to make a quick exit.

“Remus it’s fine, honestly, I shouldn’t have assumed you’d want to be with me like that.”

Remus had to pull a cohesive thought out of his brain, but all he was thinking was _Sirius likes me back, Sirius asked me out, Sirius wants to date, Sirius tried to kiss me-_

_I stopped Sirius from kissing me._

“That’s not it at all! I just- well I guess I was thinking the same thing? I never thought you’d want me like- like _that!”_

“It’s really okay, Remus, you don’t have to just say that.”

Merlin, he’s stubborn. _Merlin_ , Remus loves him.

“Just- c’mere you great git,” Remus exclaims, and with a tug on his jacket Sirius stumbles backwards. Remus steadies him with a grip on the shorter shoulders, and crashes their lips together before either of them can say anything else.

And suddenly Remus’ thoughts aren’t racing, and Sirius isn’t trying to run back to the castle. Everything else seems to stop moving around them, and the only thing Remus can hear is his heartbeat in his ears as Sirius puts a hand on the back of his neck, pulling him down to deepen the kiss. Their teeth bump a bit and they take it as a cue to break apart for a moment to catch their breath.

They stand together for a minute in silence, chests heaving with joy and adrenaline, Sirius still with a hand carding through the short curls on the back of Remus’ neck.

There’s a familiar spark in his beautiful grey eyes before Sirius says, “So since someone needs clarification, was that like, a _platonic-friendship_ kiss, or…?”

Remus kisses him again just to shut him up.

**Author's Note:**

> gotta love an oblivious Remus Lupin. any comments are most appreciated!! (you can also find me on tumblr @ charginger)


End file.
